# GRAND OLE GAMEROOM EXPO 2019 **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2019-11-18 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2019/11/18/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019 --- ## Analysis Coverage of the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo 2019 (Grand OGRE) held November 8-10 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. The fourth-year event featured hundreds of pinball and arcade games in free play, vendor booths (including Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC, and Music City Pinball), live podcast seminars, console gaming, VR experiences, and IFPA-sanctioned pinball tournaments with dedicated 10th-floor tournament space. The event was well-attended with positive community reception. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is in its fourth year as of 2019 — _Nashville's Grand Ole Gameroom Expo (Grand OGRE) is now in its fourth year and for 2019 was again held at Millennium Hotels' Maxwell House._ - [HIGH] Three-day adult weekend pass cost $60 with unrestricted access to gaming areas and seminars; children's passes at half price — _As in 2018, a three-day adult weekend pass was offered by the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo which I feel is a very good deal for all ages – $60 got adult attendees three-day unrestricted access to all of the gaming areas as well as the seminars._ - [HIGH] Gaming area was open until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights with activity throughout — _The main gaming area was open until 2am on Friday and Saturday night, and each night the gaming area was buzzing with activity until the doors were locked._ - [HIGH] Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC, and Music City Pinball were major vendors with newest pinball games and representatives — _There were many of the newest pinball games available to play courtesy of Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC of Benton, KY, and Music City Pinball. The companies had representatives on hand to answer any questions, hand out flyers and also award prizes such as t-shirts and hats to attendees who achieved high scores._ - [HIGH] Grand OGRE tournament was billed as Tennessee's Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament by number of entries — _Once again the tournament was billed as 'Tennessee's Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament' based on the number of entries._ - [HIGH] New for 2019 was a dedicated tournament area on the 10th floor ballroom with live tournament standings on large-screen monitor — _the Grand OGRE match-play pinball tournament was held Saturday afternoon and evening in the new for 2019 dedicated tournament area in the 10th floor ballroom... Also new for 2019 were live tournament standings posted on a large-screen monitor._ - [HIGH] Vendor areas did not require paid admission passes — _For this show you did not need to purchase an admission pass to have access to the vendor areas._ - [HIGH] Imoto Arcade has been on the road nearly non-stop for 5 years supporting Marco Specialties' presence at shows — _Imoto discussed such things as her parents early influence on her becoming a passionate gamer and the trials of being on the road nearly non-stop for the last 5 years in support of Marco Specialties' presence at pinball and gaming shows across North America._ ### Notable Quotes > "Overall I feel that the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is a very well-run and entertaining pinball and arcade game show that has become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and Expo scene." > — **Article author (Pinball News)**, Conclusion > _Summarizes overall positive assessment and industry importance of the event_ > "The new tournament area was a resounding hit with the attendees. I heard many positive comments about the new tournament space and how the tournaments were run and it also freed up space on the main gaming floor for even more games than were available to play in 2018." > — **Article author**, Tournament coverage section > _Key success indicator for 2019 expansion; tournament floor creation was positive innovation_ > "Imoto also hinted at her involvement with a future feature-length movie with a pinball theme." > — **Article author, reporting on Imoto's seminar**, Seminar coverage > _Notable entertainment project in development involving pinball media personality_ > "I feel that this seminar will be a 'must watch' for the majority of our readers." > — **Article author**, Seminar coverage > _Recommendation for 'Stories of Collecting for the Home Arcade' seminar content_ > "It was very gratifying to see so many women participating in this tournament." > — **Article author**, Tournament coverage > _Notes positive community development with increased women's participation in competitive pinball_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Grand Ole Gameroom Expo (Grand OGRE) | event | Annual pinball and arcade gaming convention held in Nashville, Tennessee; fourth iteration in 2019 | | Millennium Maxwell House Hotel | venue | Host location for Grand OGRE 2019, 2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN | | Marco Specialties | company | Pinball parts distributor and vendor at Grand OGRE; provided newest Stern Pinball games and merchandise | | Flip N Out LLC | company | Pinball distributor from Benton, KY; vendor at Grand OGRE with newest games | | Music City Pinball | company | Local pinball vendor at Grand OGRE; had Pong demonstration table | | Imoto Arcade | person | Pinball media personality (Harney); works with Marco Specialties; involved in pinball feature-length movie project | | Whitney Roberts | person | Host of Broken Token podcast; moderated live podcast seminars at Grand OGRE | | Brent Griffith | person | Co-host of Broken Token podcast; moderated live podcast seminars at Grand OGRE | | Belle Lacy | person | Guest on 'Stories of Collecting for the Home Arcade' seminar panel | | Shawn Wheeler | person | Guest on 'Stories of Collecting for the Home Arcade' seminar panel | | Red Bull | company | Event partner for Grand OGRE; provided complementary beverages at registration | | David Corrigan | person | Show staff member acknowledged for assistance in event coverage | | Digital Hero Games LLC | company | Show organizer/staff acknowledged for event assistance | | Broken Token podcast | organization | Classic arcade and pinball podcast hosted by Whitney Roberts and Brent Griffith | | IFPA | organization | International Federation of Pinball Associations; sanctioned tournaments at Grand OGRE | ### Topics - **Primary:** Event logistics and venue improvements, Pinball tournament structure and participation, Vendor presence and game availability - **Secondary:** Community engagement and seminars, Women's participation in competitive pinball, Arcade gaming and retro gaming - **Mentioned:** Pinball media and entertainment projects ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Strong positive assessment throughout; author praises event organization, innovation (tournament floor), community participation, vendor selection, and overall experience. No critical negative comments. Event described as 'must-attend' and 'well-run.' ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Live podcast format seminars integrated into Grand OGRE programming, featuring Broken Token podcast hosts conducting interviews and panel discussions (confidence: high) — The first two seminars on Saturday were in a 'live podcast' format held mid-Saturday morning by Whitney Roberts and Brent Griffith...The first seminar was a highly informative interview of Pinball Media personality Imoto Arcade - **[community_signal]** Significant women's participation in Grand OGRE 2019 women's tournament on Sunday, noted as gratifying development (confidence: high) — Sunday had the women's tournament. It was very gratifying to see so many women participating in this tournament. - **[event_signal]** Grand OGRE established itself as one of North America's largest IFPA-sanctioned pinball tournaments and a must-attend event for players and exhibitors (confidence: high) — Overall I feel that the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is a very well-run and entertaining pinball and arcade game show that has become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and Expo scene. - **[event_signal]** Grand OGRE 2019 successfully implemented dedicated tournament floor (10th floor ballroom) as new 2019 feature, receiving strong positive community feedback (confidence: high) — The new tournament area was a resounding hit with the attendees. I heard many positive comments about the new tournament space and how the tournaments were run and it also freed up space on the main gaming floor for even more games than were available to play in 2018. - **[community_signal]** Imoto Arcade (pinball media personality) working with Marco Specialties on multi-year touring presence across North American pinball and gaming shows (confidence: high) — Imoto discussed...the trials of being on the road nearly non-stop for the last 5 years in support of Marco Specialties' presence at pinball and gaming shows across North America. - **[rumor_hype]** Feature-length pinball-themed movie in development with Imoto Arcade involvement hinted at during seminar (confidence: low) — Imoto also hinted at her involvement with a future feature-length movie with a pinball theme. --- ## Transcript Date: 8th - 10th November, 2019 Location: Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, 2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37228, USA Nashville’s Grand Ole Gameroom Expo (Grand OGRE) is now in its fourth year and for 2019 was again held at Millennium Hotels’ Maxwell House. ![The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, home of the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/28-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The Expo As in 2018, a three-day adult weekend pass was offered by the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo which I feel is a very good deal for all ages – $60 got adult attendees three-day unrestricted access to all of the gaming areas as well as the seminars. Children’s passes could be purchased for half the adult price. ![The entry desk](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/20-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The entry desk The organizers offered attractive event T-shirts and posters for attendees for a small extra cost. ![Show merchandise for sale](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/18-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Show merchandise for sale The 2019 edition of Grand Ole Gameroom Expo offered attendees hundreds of pinball games, classic and modern arcade video games, and games of skill such as skee-ball and air hockey in the spacious Grande Ballroom. ![A selection of the pinballs available to play](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/06-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) A selection of the pinballs available to play As you would expect, all games were set on ‘free play’ or had insanely low free game thresholds. ![More of the free play games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/11-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) More of the free play games The main gaming area was open until 2am on Friday and Saturday night, and each night the gaming area was buzzing with activity until the doors were locked. ![Frenkenstein's Monster tries to escape from the Monster Bash remake machine](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/05-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Frenkenstein’s machine There were many of the newest pinball games available to play courtesy of Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC of Benton, KY, and Music City Pinball. The companies had representatives on hand to answer any questions, hand out flyers and also award prizes such as t-shirts and hats to attendees who achieved high scores. Marco Specialties also had Pinball-themed wearables for sale just off of their gaming area. ![New Stern Pinball games on the Marco Specialties stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/07-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) New Stern Pinball games on the Marco Specialties stand ![The new comic-art Star Wars models](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/08-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The new comic-art Star Wars models ![Free decals and plastics from Stern Pinball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/09-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Free decals and key chain plastics from Stern Pinball ![Various pinball-themed items of clothing were available too](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/12-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Various pinball-themed items of clothing were available too !It certainly wasn't all pinball though It certainly wasn’t all pinball though ![Lots of video gaming merchandise was available](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/10-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Lots of video gaming merchandise was available ![Most of the popular 8-bit characters were represented here](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/27-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Most of the popular 8-bit characters were represented here A demonstration Pong cocktail table near the Music City Pinball area seemed to be in constant use by young and old alike. Terri and I even tried our hand at it with Terri whipping me soundly. ![The Pong table from Atari](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/01-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The Pong table from Atari The Promenade area outside of the Grande Ballroom was lined with vendors of all types selling clothing, accessories, parts and also console game cartridges. For this show you did not need to purchase an admission pass to have access to the vendor areas. There were dozens of console games set up in the International (Classic Games) and Embassy (Modern Games) meeting rooms for free play and tournament use. ![Classic console games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/04-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Classic console games The Forum West room had a lounge area dedicated to Playstation VR gaming; this gave attendees a chance to try out the latest virtual reality games and enjoy this new technology. ![Checking out the latest VR games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/02-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Checking out the latest VR games ![Enjoying some of the multi-player games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/03-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Enjoying some of the multi-player games Also in the Forum West were Xbox360 LAN games such as HALO and Unreal Tournament. The Forum East room hosted the Grand OGRE’s seminars. The first two seminars on Saturday were in a ‘live podcast’ format held mid-Saturday morning by Whitney Roberts and Brent Griffith. Brent and Whitney may be known by some Pinball News readers as the hosts of the Broken Token classic arcade and pinball podcast. ![The seminars schedule](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/21-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The seminars schedule The first seminar was a highly informative interview of Pinball Media personality Imoto Arcade (Harney). ![Imoto with Brent and Whitney](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/22-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Imoto with Whitney and Brent Imoto discussed such things as her parents early influence on her becoming a passionate gamer and the trials of being on the road nearly non-stop for the last 5 years in support of Marco Specialties’ presence at pinball and gaming shows across North America. Imoto also hinted at her involvement with a future feature-length movie with a pinball theme. VIDEO The second seminar moderated by Whitney and Brent was Stories of Collecting for the Home Arcade with guests Belle Lacy and Shawn Wheeler. The joys and pitfalls of setting up an arcade in the home were discussed in detail. I feel that this seminar will be a ‘must watch’ for the majority of our readers. VIDEO After a Friday night ‘split flipper’ icebreaker social, the Grand OGRE match-play pinball tournament was held Saturday afternoon and evening in the new for 2019 dedicated tournament area in the 10th floor ballroom. Once again the tournament was billed as “Tennessee’s Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament” based on the number of entries. Sunday had the women’s tournament. It was very gratifying to see so many women participating in this tournament. ![Up to the tenth floor for the tournaments](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/24-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Up to the tenth floor for the tournaments ![The tournaments schedule](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/16-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The tournaments schedule Generally, the Grand OGRE tournaments were well-attended and produced heated competitions. ![The tournaments room](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/25-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The tournaments room Also new for 2019 were live tournament standings posted on a large-screen monitor. The people running the tournament scoring did an exceptional job of keeping the scores updated so that at a glance anyone could see how the play was progressing. Again in 2019 there was a Nashville vs Memphis ‘out on bail’ team challenge tournament late Saturday night. ![More tournament games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/26-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) More tournament games I appreciated the beautiful view of downtown Nashville from the panoramic windows surrounding the 10th floor ballroom, and I would imagine the tournament contestants did also when they were not in the midst of playing a game. ![The view of Memphis from the tournament room](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/29-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) The view of Nashville from the tournament room The new tournament area was a resounding hit with the attendees. I heard many positive comments about the new tournament space and how the tournaments were run and it also freed up space on the main gaming floor for even more games than were available to play in 2018. Kudos to the volunteers who worked diligently to make this all work super-smoothly. The Red Bull drinks company was again one of the partners for the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo and there were complementary Red Bull beverages available near the registration desk. The innovative refreshment area just outside the main gaming area was expanded this year. In addition to soft drinks and ‘adult’ beverages, hot and cold sandwiches and other snack items were available for purchase. The Maxwell House hotel offered additional entertainment for show attendees, with live no-cover music each night in Maxwell’s Lounge and a complementary shuttle service for hotel guests to Nashville’s Honky Tonk district. ![Some of the live music at the hotel](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/17-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Some of the live music at the hotel Overall I feel that the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is a very well-run and entertaining pinball and arcade game show that has become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and Expo scene. ![Show sponsors](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019/14-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2019.jpg) Show sponsors 2020 dates for the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo have not yet been announced, but when they are known we will let you know right here in the Pinball News Diary. Sincere and heartfelt thanks to David Corrigan, Digital Hero Games LLC, and all of the show staff for their assistance in covering this show. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 97154758-5e91-4c65-98f1-cc49c04f4fa6*